Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins played for 14 seasons before retiring. In a recent ESPN NBA Today episode, the 2008 NBA champion shared his top 5 picks for NBA nicknames of all time.
Perkins, who recently criticized the Chicago Bulls, began by selecting Hakeem Olajuwon’s several monikers, “The Dream,” “Clutch City,” and “Ace Time,” for the number five. He added that he grew up idolizing Olajuwon and that he is incredibly fond of the athlete.
“We coming in at number five. Bam! Put it up there. Clutch City, Ace Time, The Dream, The Shake, The Wiggle. Hakeem Olajuwon. a guy I grew up watching and idolize, I love so much.”
Black Mamba, the nickname of the famous player Kobe Bryant, was chosen by Perkins as number four. Bryant’s Mamba mindset made him memorable to a lot of sportsmen.
“Oh, the black mamba. Look, everybody kept saying Oh, LeBron don’t have the killer mentality. Who has it? Kobe Bryant, the black mamba. One of the most venomous snakes in the world.”
Perkins then continued by mentioning the top three picks for his list.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Perkins’ Top Three NBA Nicknames of All Time
The nickname “Dr. J,” referring to Julius Erving, ranked third. Perkins highlighted Erving’s innovative approach to the game.
“Hey, look, if you sick, you got the flu, you got a stomach bug, you know, you’re struggling with your health, call on the doctor. Dr. J, one of the greatest to ever do it.”
For number two on his list, Perkins chose Kevin Garnett’s nickname, “the big ticket.” Isiah Thomas gave Garnett this nickname because of his incredible career.
“Coming in at number two, the big ticket, is my guy, my big brother KG. MVP, All-Star, MVP, all-defense, defensive player of the year, NBA champion, one of the greatest power forwards to ever do it punching in that ticket.”
The former NBA player chose the renowned athlete Magic Johnson’s nickname “Magic” as his first choice for a nickname. He complimented Johnson and said that he had brought magic to Los Angeles.
“And last but not least, coming in at number one, I think everybody agree with this at number one, coming in, bam! Put him up there. Magic! Right? His name is Magic Johnson and yes he brought the magic to LA.”
Perkins’ selections featured some exceptional talents in NBA history. These players achieved greatly throughout their NBA careers.
Also Read: Kendrick Perkins Weighs In On Why the Pressure On Joel Embiid Is Unlike Any Other In The NBA
